At 2.30am one morning, a big bike screeched past our front door in full song: at least 200kph, and that sound was followed a second later by a dull thud. I was still up but the noise awoke Elinor and had her rushing down to investigate. He’d hit a car pulling out of the side road by the Mairie, a 100mtrs for us. There was no walking away from that one.
We were living in Trégon on the main east-west coastal route in the Cȏtes d’Armor (22) and we were right by a set of speed controlled traffic lights that default to red at night.
The driver of the car was lucky in that the bike hit the front part of her car with the engine in it: solid enough. If she’d been one metre further forward he would have gone in through her door reducing her to mush.
But my point in this context is not that he went through a red light at a maniacal speed or that, in normal circumstances, the car driver might have been responsible for pulling out of a side road, but the fact that when a vehicle is arriving at such a speed, it all happens in a flash. A supposedly quiet night, the car driver could have looked out at the junction and the bike would have been too far away to have been of consequence - and then he wasn’t…
Yes, it is pretty stupid or ill advised to approach a junction at that speed. I had assumed it was a driver coming out of a side ride until I saw the film. Which in my opinion would have been more likely and forgivable. But to pull across incoming traffic as this car driver did, tells me that he was not concentrating at all. As you say Stuart, judging speed when a vehicle approaches you is difficult, so had he seen him at all, I for one would not have pulled out.....I too used to drive a motorcycle. The benefit is, that as a car driver now I tend to pay far more attention to bikes than perhaps I otherwise would?? I personally think that if everyone had at least 6 months on a bike there would be far fewer accidents involving bikes full stop. No doubt I'll get some flack for that too ;o))
Oh dear. This brings back a personal experience I had about fifty years ago. I was the car driver turning right, but, in my defence the visibilty was nothing like this example, and on a bend obscured by trees and bushes on both sides. I had committed to the turn without seeing anybody coming the other way when suddenly a motorbike appeared and hit us broadside. The bike stopped, the rider cartwheeled over the car roof. I knew the motorcyclist slightly and I'm afraid he suffered a limp thereafter. There were no prosecutions. The road has since been widened and the curve eased; the trees and bushes are set much further back. Speed was certainly an issue, but so was the design of the road. My decision to turn has haunted me and I am always very careful indeed when bikes are about. The Paris peripherique with bikes over and undertaking on both sides terrifies me. I wouldn't drive it at night. I've also got a limp now, but from a pedestrian accident, not a motoring one.
Very sad but 100 mph approaching a junction The driver admitted not seeing him so maybe he wasn't concentrating and that alone is bad driving. However, how can you judge if someone is doing 40 mph above the speed limit coming towards you.
Very sad for his Mother and family.
I know I am going to get some stick for this comment.
P.S.I also ride a bike albeit a 125 and would love to ride bigger but I can guarantee you I would not be doing 100 mph on a road with junctions like that. I guess he knew the road?
I saw this on the late English news last night. A tragic accident that could have been prevented from both parties. Sadly David was riding too fast, over 100 miles an hour, past a junction and the car driver either not looking far enough ahead before turning or mistaken the speed in which the biker was traveling.
A sad lesson to learn by all.